American Airways miles are value roughly 1.5¢ every on common, though the ultimate worth you get on your miles will rely upon the way you redeem them. It’s possible you’ll get a decrease redemption worth if you happen to ebook journey throughout peak journey instances, or if you do not have the pliability to think about various locations and dates. It’s also possible to get much more than the typical redemption worth if you happen to discover a low-cost award. Redemptions in a premium cabin, particularly for worldwide itineraries, also can provide higher worth for every mile you money in.
Sadly, determining how a lot American Airways miles are value turned way more troublesome in April of 2023. That is when the frequent flyer program absolutely embraced its deliberate transfer to dynamic pricing, that means the price of awards can now go up or down based mostly on the time of yr, demand, and different elements.
American Airways nonetheless publishes an award chart that reveals the “estimated beginning values” for one-way journeys, which could be useful to present you an thought. Nonetheless, you may nonetheless wish to do the mathematics for awards to know if you happen to’re getting deal — or if you happen to ought to ebook your flight utilizing a unique rewards foreign money.
Beneath we clarify find out how to calculate the worth of American miles earlier than you redeem for flights, different redemption choices at your disposal, and how one can earn extra miles over the lengthy haul.
Methods to calculate the worth of American Airways awards
The worth of an award ticket with the American AAdvantage program is loosely tied to the price of a flight. Nonetheless, there are at all times outliers and conditions the place you will get outsized worth on your rewards.
To determine how a lot worth you may get with American miles, evaluate the money value of reserving airfare to the price of reserving with miles, minus airline taxes and charges. This allows you to get an approximate thought of how a lot every mile you redeem is value —an essential issue that may assist information you in your determination.
Think about this instance that reveals the money value for a round-trip flight from Indianapolis, Indiana (IND) to Miami, Florida (MIA) in September of 2023. As you may see, a round-trip flight between these two cities would set you again $399 if you happen to paid in money and wished to fly in the primary cabin with out coping with the drawbacks of fundamental economic system.
Within the meantime, you may ebook the identical round-trip flight in the primary cabin on the identical dates for 18,000 to 21,000 American miles plus $11.20 in taxes and charges relying on the itinerary you select.
To determine the American Airways miles worth, you’d take the money value and subtract the airline taxes and charges. From there, you’d divide the remaining money value by the variety of miles required.
So, if you happen to booked the flight for 18,000 miles plus $11.20, you’d be getting roughly 2.15¢ per American mile.
($399 – $11.20) / 18,000 miles = 2.15¢ per mile
In the event you booked the itinerary that prices 21,000 miles plus $11.20, then again, you’d be getting roughly 1.85¢ per mile.
($399 – $11.20) / 21,000 miles = 1.85¢ per mile
That is a extremely nice redemption, however it is best to know this particular instance is not at all times the norm. The common worth of American miles is round 1.5¢ every and, in some cases, you get a lot much less worth on your miles.
For instance, a round-trip flight in most important cabin economic system from Indianapolis, Indiana (IND) to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ) might set you again one thing like 41,500 American miles plus $121.15 in airline taxes and charges at a time when the money value of the flight is barely round $550.
On this instance, you are solely getting barely over 1¢ per worth for every mile you redeem.
$550 – $121.50) / 41.500 miles = 1.03¢ per mile
American Airways miles vs. rivals
The American AAdvantage program, which helps you to earn American miles whenever you fly with American Airways or companions or take part in different qualifying exercise, isn’t the one frequent flyer program to think about. There are others that allow you to earn a rewards foreign money that is tied to a selected airline, and a few might make extra sense for you relying on the airport(s) you usually journey from.
The desk beneath reveals how American AAdvantage miles stack as much as miles from competing applications. These figures are based mostly on averages.
Methods to earn American Airways miles
There are fairly just a few methods to rack up American Airways miles, and that is very true if you happen to’re a frequent flyer. In the event you’re keen to get a co-branded American Airways bank card, store via a portal, or be a part of the airline’s eating membership, you can earn miles even quicker.
This is an summary of all of the methods you may rack up American miles.
Flying with the airline
Non-elite American flyers earn a base fee of 5 miles for every greenback spent, whereas Gold members, Platinum members, Platinum Professional members, and Government Platinum members earn 40%, 60%, 80%, and 120% extra miles per greenback spent, respectively.
It’s also possible to earn American miles whenever you fly with taking part associate airways, though the precise approach your miles accrue relies on the associate itself. This web page on the American Airways web site enables you to evaluate how miles accrue with varied associate airways and explains different necessities that apply.
American Airways bank cards
Like different frequent flyer applications, the American AAdvantage program affords a number of co-branded bank cards that allow you to earn miles (additionally known as Loyalty Factors) you may redeem for flights and different choices. These airline bank cards allow you to earn miles whether or not you really fly with the airline or not, and a few include money-saving advantages like free checked luggage and lounge entry.
Notable American Airways bank cards embrace:
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AAdvantage® Aviator® Pink World Elite Mastercard® |
Earn 50,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first buy inside the first 90 days |
$0 intro annual payment for the primary yr, then $99 |
card_name: That is the one American Airways ccredit card with no annual payment, and it earns two miles per greenback spent on grocery retailer and eligible American Airways purchases and one mile per greenback spent on different purchases.
card_name: Along with a beneficiant sign-up bonus and loyalty factors for every greenback you spend, this card comes with perks like free checked luggage on home American Airways itineraries and 25% off in-flight purchases.
card_name: This premium airline bank card carries an annual payment of annual_fees, and cardholders get a complimentary Admirals Membership® membership that’s valued at $650. Different perks embrace free checked luggage on home American Airways itineraries, precedence boarding, a payment credit score towards World Entry or TSA PreCheck membership, 25% off in-flight purchases, and 10,000 extra loyalty factors after spending $40,000 on the cardboard every qualifying yr.
card_name: This enterprise bank card affords a beneficiant sign-up bonus in addition to bonus miles on gasoline, automobile leases, telecommunications retailers, cable and satellite tv for pc suppliers. Cardholders additionally get free checked luggage on home American Airways itineraries, most well-liked boarding, 25% off eligible in-flight purchases, and extra.
AAdvantage® Aviator® Pink World Elite Mastercard®: This airline bank card from Barclays enables you to earn the sign-up bonus of fifty,000 miles after paying the $99 annual payment and making a purchase order inside the first 90 days. Cardholders additionally qualify for a free first checked bag on eligible home itineraries, most well-liked boarding, $25 in assertion credit towards Wi-Fi purchases, 25% off eligible in-flight purchases, and extra.
Accommodations and automobile leases
The American AAdvantage program companions with a spread of resort manufacturers and automobile rental firms that will help you earn extra miles whenever you journey. For instance, you may earn miles whenever you ebook a stick with Hyatt Accommodations or Marriott Worldwide, or whenever you ebook a resort via Rocketmiles.com. You additionally earn miles whenever you ebook a automobile rental with Avis and Funds via the American Airways web site.
Trip packages and cruises
A lot of miles could be earned by reserving trip packages and cruises via the American Airways web site. It is potential to earn 25,000 miles or extra on eligible trip packages that mix your resort stick with airfare, and plenty of cruise traces supplied via the portal provide 10,000 miles plus perks like cabin upgrades and onboard credit.
AAdvantage eating
The American AAdvantage eating program enables you to earn miles for eating at eligible eating places and paying with a credit score or debit card that is linked to your account. This program additionally offers newcomers an opportunity to earn a bonus of 500 miles.
AAdvantage eShopping
It’s also possible to earn American miles for purchasing via the airline’s purchasing portal, known as American eShopping. This portal enables you to earn bonus miles for making eligible purchases at greater than 1,200 on-line shops, together with Apple, Kohl’s, Macy’s, and Workplace Depot. All it’s a must to do is log in via the portal, click on on the shop of your selection, and purchase one thing, utilizing any cost technique you need.
Methods to redeem American Airways miles
There are fairly just a few methods to redeem American Airways miles, however the most suitable choice is at all times going to be flights. You should utilize American miles for flights to greater than 1,000 locations around the globe, with miles additionally being redeemable for journey with the corporate’s companions equivalent to Alaska Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, and extra. It is also value noting that one-way home flights begin at simply 7,500 miles plus airline taxes and charges, which could be an unbelievable deal relying in your journey dates and itinerary.
It’s also possible to redeem American miles for upgrades to the following cabin up on American, British Airways, and Iberia flights. Alternate redemption choices for American miles embrace:
- Major cabin seat choices
- Admirals Membership memberships
- Rental automobiles and resort stays
- Trip packages
- Luxurious experiences
- Donations to associate charities
When do you have to use your American Airways miles
You must use your American miles to ebook journey any time you discover an award flight that permits you to get no less than the typical worth for every mile you redeem. In the event you discover a home flight or a world itinerary that permits you to get 1.5¢ per mile, it is best to in all probability transfer ahead with the reserving earlier than the value goes up based mostly on demand or different elements.
Alternatively, you may think about using different airline miles it’s a must to ebook an alternate itinerary, or utilizing money so it can save you your miles. That stated, racking up miles you by no means use just isn’t really useful since rewards currencies are devalued yr after yr. Airline miles are supposed to “earn and burn,” and there is little worth in hoarding them until you are saving up for a giant journey.
Often requested questions (FAQ)
Do American Airways miles expire?
American Airways miles expire if you happen to do not earn or redeem any of them over the course of 24 months. Nonetheless, you may simply “restart the clock” in case your miles are about to run out by redeeming some miles or incomes miles with qualifying exercise or purchases made on a co-branded airline bank card.
How do you join American Airways AAdvantage?
You possibly can join free to develop into an American AAdvantage member on AA.com. You will simply must share info like your title, tackle, electronic mail tackle, and telephone quantity.
Can I convert American Airways miles to money?
You can’t convert American miles to money. Nonetheless, you may redeem your miles for Admirals Membership memberships, rental automobiles and resort stays, trip packages, luxurious experiences, and donations to associate charities.